1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to weight measurement scales and the like. More specifically, the present invention is a device for determining the center of gravity of an object that includes a weight scale and apparatus, which may be a programmable electronic load scale, for determining the arm and moment of an object of known weight secured thereto, in three mutually orthogonal axes. This information is used to determine the center of gravity of the object along each axis, thereby determining the center of gravity of the three-dimensional object.
2. Description of the Related Art
The determination of the center of gravity of an irregular three-dimensional solid object can be a complex project. Yet, there are many fields in which it is quite important, if not critical, to know the precise center of gravity of an object. An example of such a field is the game of golf, or more particularly the adjustment and modification of clubs used in the game.
As the game has evolved over the years, a number of relatively fine nuances have been discovered which aid the accuracy of the player. Among these is the discovery or realization of the importance of the precise placement of the center of gravity of the club head. Many, if not most, club heads may be adjusted insofar as their mass and/or center of gravity is concerned, particularly so-called “metal woods,” i.e., larger club heads formed of a hollow metal shell which serve the function of the older style drivers and related clubs having heads formed primarily of wood. For example, if the center of gravity is positioned too far outwardly toward the “toe” of the club, that portion of the club head will tend to lag behind the center of the club head during the swing, resulting in a slice or fade tendency. The opposite effect, i.e., a hook or draw, occurs when the center of gravity of the club head is positioned inboard of the center of the club head. Vertical and forward and rearward placement of the center of gravity also affects the path and angle of the club head during the swing, and the corresponding path of the ball at and after impact, primarily affecting the loft of the ball.
While the above points are reasonably well known in golf and can be used to “fine-tune” an individual club or set of clubs (including some irons), the precise center of gravity of the club head must be known before it can be adjusted with any degree of precision. In other words, regardless of the accuracy of the location and amount of weight added or subtracted to or from a club head, the result is imprecise if the starting point was not precisely known.
Thus, a device for determining the center of gravity of an object solving the aforementioned problems is desired.